Mangaung Refurbishes Heidedal pool

The Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) mayor, Thabo Manyoni, has given the go-ahead for the renovation of the Heidedal swimming pool; a project that is envisaged to be completed within three months.

The communal swimming pool of the predominantly coloured township has been in a state of disrepair for more than three years. Manyoni visited Heidedal on Monday to break the news to the community, where he also donated 300 food parcels to the residents of that area.

The mayor assured the Heidedal residents that he was aware of the longstanding social challenges afflicting the community and that the municipality was working towards addressing them

“The municipality has handed the site over to the contractor to refurbish the swimming pool because we acknowledge that the swimming pool means a lot to the residents of Heidedal.”

Municipal spokesman, Qondile Khedama, said the municipality will be spending R1.9-million on the renovations and that it will take up to three months to revamp the main pool and the ‘baby’ pool.

“We saw it befitting that we speed up the refurbishment of this facility which had become dysfunctional, following an assessment of recreational facilities in the city.

“We are repairing the swimming pool so that it can contribute to promoting swimming as a sport, while keeping kids off the streets. Above all, this is to ensure that recreational facilities are provided to all the communities that never had access to them previously,” said Khedama.

He said the municipality will introduce ‘Learn to Swim’ programmes to the community when the renovations are completed, adding that new swimming pool will also host local school competitions.

A local councillor, Vernon Ward, who is a passionate swimmer himself, recounted that the swimming pool was closed long before he became the councillor of ward 47. He said, after joining the council in 2011, he initiated talks with the mayor for the resuscitation of the pool.

Ward told The Weekly that he used to be a swimming superintendent at the same swimming pool and that he was hurt that it was lying idle and unused. He said he was happy that the swimming pool will start operating soon, adding that he was looking forward to the school swimming competitions that will be held in the facility.

One Heidedal swimmer, Christo Smith, said he was delighted that the mayor had come to his area to do something that will help better the lives of the kids.

Smith recalled how, during his teen years, the swimming pool used to keep him and his peers off the streets and away from drugs. He even offered to coach aspiring swimmers once the pool is operational.

“I am confident that the high crime wave that has gripped Heidedal will subside as the pool will keep kids preoccupied,” he concluded.